ThE blENDED EDUCATIONAl pROGRAm As A mODIfIED EDUCATIONAl pROGRAm IN mEDICAl EDUCATION AND ThE EffECT ON sTUDENTs ’ CRITICAl

Introduction: Blended learning is a mixture of various learning strategies and delivery methods to optimize the learning experience of the users. Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare a designed blended educational method with classical face to face method in the cognitive effect of the program on the students’ critical thinking. Methods: A comparative study was conducted on 41 first year nursing students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences who participated in the psychiatry course in 2008–2009. The students were randomly divided into two groups of conventional and blended educational methods. The Watson Glazer test was used for assessment of critical thinking. Results: There was a significant increase in student’s critical thinking skills in both groups after conducting of the course. Analysis of variance results showed that there was a significant relationship between students’ final score, teaching method and critical thinking in conclusion skills. The mean of final scores of the students who participated in the blended educational group was significantly more than that of those who participated in the face to face teaching approach. Conclusion: The use of blended educational method is recommended for teaching in Medical and Para-medical sciences.